When the baskets opened in Agen 2025, 1,042 long-distance gladiators took to the sky under a warm southwest wind. Among them, 32 belonged to one name that every fancier in South Holland now whispers with respect, Peet and Paloma Solleveld from Maasdijk.
For decades Peet has been known as the man who can strike when the kilometers get long and the daylight runs out. And once again, he didn’t disappoint. At 20:11:55 hours, his blue male NL24-8360573 cut through the evening sky and landed on the board — good for:
1st Fondclub De Glazen Stad
1st Afdeling 5
2nd National Yearlings
6th National Overall
That’s dominance, pure and simple.
The Winning Bird: Blue Erik – The Next Generation of Long-Distance Power from Peet Solleveld & Paloma
The NL.24-8360573 wasn’t even raced as a nest bird — he was played as a “pater”, one of Peet’s signature methods for balancing work and passion. As a young bird he flew the natour, then went on the last young-bird flight with two nights in the basket — the perfect foundation for a future marathon ace.
“Blue Erik” is a direct son of “Erikson” (NL19-1603041), himself a son of RSC Erik (Erik Limbourg) and Nestzus Pouli Barca (De Smeyter-Restiaen) — two of the most powerful names in modern marathon racing. “RSC Erik” is sire to multiple National top performers including 2nd Nat. Agen 2023 and 2nd Nat. Agen 2025, while the dam’s side descends directly from the world-famous Barca family known for their endless stamina and fighting spirit.
On the mother’s side, “Lucinda” (NL16-1458730) brings in the legendary strength of the Lelu pair — a foundation line within the Pronk/Coppenolle family. She is a daughter of Leo (Pronk/Coppenolle) and Manke (Pronk/Volkens), both key breeders behind several National stars. “Lucinda” herself produced 2nd Nat. Agen 2025 and 6th Nat. Agen 2025, while her brother is the father of “The Cougar”, the pigeon that won 1st Dax and 1st Perpignan — a clear testament to the winning genes flowing through this family.
With his perfect genetic design, rich performance background, and powerful heritage, “Blue Erik” stands as a symbol of the future — bred to excel in the hardest races such as Agen, Pau, and Narbonne. A true Pigeon Boss Approved long-distance talent built to dominate.
Quality meets experience — and it shows in the clock.
The System Behind Success
Peet and Paloma race about 75 pigeons, mainly widowers and paters, carefully managed to peak on the major ZLU flights. There’s no room for chaos on this loft — every feed scoop and training toss has a purpose.
Feeding: Beyers mixtures and the famous Beyers pickstones
Health: monitored and supported with products from Schreuder
Breeding: a loft packed with proven stock, including shared breeders from Piet de Vogel and other friends in the elite long-distance scene
Even the best face setbacks — several top birds fell victim to birds of prey earlier this year — but true champions find motivation in adversity. Peet certainly did.
Consistency That Defines Champions
Besides the winner, the Maasdijk loft clocked 13 birds in the result list, including positions 16, 17, 65, 67, 137, 144, 152, 187, 212, 298, 313 and 345. Such depth is what separates a lucky win from a masterclass performance.
The result also secured 2nd Superfond Champion (Onaangewezen) and 1st Superfond Pigeon Champion in De Glazen Stad Westland — proof that this was not a one-bird wonder but a full-loft performance.
A Lifetime of Passion
Peet Solleveld has raced since 1973. In recent years his daughter Paloma joined forces with him, bringing new energy and precision to the partnership. With retirement on the horizon, Peet will soon have more time than ever to focus on breeding and racing. If this Agen result is any indication, the best may still be yet to come.
The Pigeon Boss Says
“Real champions rise when the distances grow, and Peet Solleveld Pigeons have once again shown what true mastery looks like. Peet & Paloma show pure class, pure passion and are pure Pigeon Boss Approved!”
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss